IngramSpark is the arm of Ingram aimed at self-publishers, and lately Ingram have been very active in pursuing the self-publishing author, with virtual and actual conferences in the US and UK to explain to indie-authors what IngramSpark can offer.
While IngramSpark has extensive ebook distribution it’s fair to say most indies have that in hand, and it is Ingram’s print distribution network that is of real interest.

But Ingram’s set-up fees, along with the need to have ISBNs available, is an obstacle to many. ISBNs may be two a penny for big publishers buying them by the thousands, but they get seriously expensive if you are an indie author and just need a handful in the US (Bowker) or UK (Nielsen).
Rival operators like CreateSpace and KDP Print (both owned by Amazon) offer free ISBNs for those wanting to use its POD service. I’m hoping IngramSpark will soon do the same. Not that having our own ISBNs is a bad idea, if we can afford them (most countries offer them for free). But for an author just starting out, or with a couple of titles, the price of ISBNs is a big deterrent to using them, and therefore a big deterrent to using IngramSpark.
As are the IngramSpark set-up fees (again, CreateSpace and KDP print require no upfront costs).
But several times a year Ingram waives its set-up fees, meaning indie authors and other small publishers can get into the Ingram system with just the cost of an ISBN.

IngramSpark

This time around you just need to use the coupon code INDIEFRINGE17 to qualify, with the offer ending at end of November. And yes, for anyone wondering, you can use IngramSpark for POD print distribution while still using CreateSpace for Amazon.
The INDIEFRINGE17 code refers to the 24-hour on-line Indie Fringe on Saturday October 14 that marks the end of the Frankfurt Book Fair.
You can find the full ALLi IndieFringe schedule here.
This is the last of the year of three IndieFringes organised by Orna Ross and the ALLi team to mark the ends of the London Book Fair, Book Expo and the Frankfurt Book Fair.
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